The Benmei Slytherin
by creativia
Summary: One day at school Hermione runs into a peculiar boy she doesn't recognize. Hermione learns that he is a Slytherin, but can't help but think that in the brief encounter she had with him that he didn't seem very Slytherinlike. She can't help but wonder how on earth he is even in Slytherin. Little does she know just how many secrets this apologetic seeming boy truly has.(Temp.Hiatus)
1. Chapter 1 (1st encounter)

**A/N: There may be spoilers is you have not seen the last season of Durarara X2. I just wanted to let you know. The events in Durarara still occurred in this story, with the exception that Raira is a magical school and some of the characters are wizards. There is nothing from the Izaya novel in here.** **Also, this takes place during the fifth Harry Potter story. There shouldn't really be any spoilers for that unless you haven't read the fifth book. I hope I haven't forgotten anything.**

 **A/N: I've edited this chapter based on some constructive criticism and what I thought would make it better. I'm hoping that this has clarified a few things by adding some details and separating the point of view changes/ time jumps more clearly. Please let me know if there is any other editing suggestions. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy. I am currently working on the rest.**

Chapter 1

Hermione was just walking through the halls of Hogwarts when another student crashed into her. This caused them to both fall to the ground. She could feel the warm body of the person who had landed on top of her. However, the feeling only last for a second as they quickly sprung back up. Hermione could hear panting from above her and sputtering,

"I-I-I'm s-s-so sorry." His apology sounded breathy. Almost as though he was still breathing heavily from running. Hermione sighed. She had to admit that she was irritated. But Hermione did realize that it was just an accident. Hermione looked up to see the boy standing in front of her. He had short black hair and azure blue eyes. If she had to guess, she'd say he was Asian. He was blushing and looking very apologetic. He shakily leaned forward and held his hand out to her. She took it as he helped her back up. Hermione tried to show him a small smile, but it didn't seem to reliever his nervousness.

The boy glanced away and looked down at the hall floor to see that the books she had been levitating were spewed all across the floor. She had dropped them when they collapsed onto the floor. Seeing this, he looked even more remorseful, if that were even possible. She noticed that he bit his lip, making it seem almost white. He looked back and forth between Hermione and the books as though silently trying to decide how else to apologize.

Then as the boy took in a shaky breath he got out his wand and pointed it at the books. He appeared as though he wished to levitate them for her, but his hand was shaking too much for him to be able to do so. They only shakily lifted into the air a millimeter before falling clumsily to the ground. He pointed his wand at the books again, but his hand was still shaking too much. He still appeared to be panting a lot and sweating nervously.

As the boy continued this attempt, Hermione skimmed over him and noticed something that caught her completely by surprise. He was wearing Slytherin robes. Hermione couldn't help but think that what she was seeing didn't make any sense. He was acting so nervous and apologetic, almost as though wronging anyone would cause him such great remorse. There was no way this boy could be Slytherin. Considering everything Hermione knew about Slytherins, this seemed to describe the complete opposite.

Other Slytherins had bumped into her in the past. Typically they would: scoff at her, claim it was her fault, or utter some rude slur about her being a mud blood. Yet, despite the red flag she felt from seeing what house he was in, Hermione couldn't help but feel bad for the kid when she saw how desperately he was trying to help her. After all, besides the robes, he had really given her no reason to not trust him.

Hermione placed her hand lightly over the boy's wrist. He looked up at her as she did this, still blushing. Hermione smiled sweetly at him.

"It's alright, really." She got her own wand out and levitated her books again so that they were a floating stack next to her.

"I know it was just an accident." She removed her hand from his wrist. He seemed to have calmed down, but still looked like he felt bad. He quickly bowed to her.

"S-still, I-I'm so sorry. I-I wasn't really looking where I-I was going." Hermione thought he sounded like he had a Japanese accent.

"No really, it is alright. Things happen. Hey, I don't think I've really seen you around here before." He looked to the ground at that comment.

"Um, w-well you probably haven't. A couple of my friends and I transferred here this year."

"Oh okay. My name is Hermione Granger." The boy looked at her extended hand for a moment before hesitantly shaking it.

"Mikado Ryugamine."

"That's a very unusual name. Is it Japanese? I thought I noticed you had an accent.

"Um, y-yeah. It is Japanese. I transferred here from Japan."

"Why did you transfer here?"

"Well, my friend's and my parents had heard that Hogwarts was a really good magic school a-and they felt that the city we were living in was getting too dangerous. So um t-they decided to have us transfer to go here."

"It was getting too dangerous? What do you mean?" Mikado was about to answer when a voice behind him shouted,

"Hey Ryugamine!" Mikado paled as soon as the voice called out. He shakily turned to face the direction it came from. Hermione noticed Malfoy and a couple of other Slytherins stalking down the hallway towards them. They all had mischievous looks on their faces.

"Ryugamine, you still haven't let us do the initiation on you yet." Malfoy said, smirking maniacally.

"Um, i-initation?" Mikado stuttered out. He started shaking again. Malfoy nodded.

"Yeah Ryugamine. All the new slytherins have to go through an initiation." A boy with short light brown hair standing next to Malfoy said. Hermione thought this boy looked familiar, but she couldn't remember his name.

"B-but, n-none of the other new slytherins had to go through an initiation." Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"That's because they're not as fun as you, Ryugamine. You would appreciate it more." The brunette said. Malfoy and the third Slytherin joined the brunette in laughing at that. The brunette got his wand out and pointed it close to Mikado's face, right between his eyes.

"If you can guess what spell I'm going to cast before I cast it, you prove that your blood is worthy enough to be in the Slytherin house." Mikado looked at the wand pointed at his face, having to cross his eyes to do so. He gulped. It was clear to Hermione that these boys were just finding an excuse to mess with Mikado. The justice seeker inside her was furious at the pathetic display.

"Hey you jerks, leave him alone! Don't you realize how juvenile you're being?" The three taunting slytherins turned to face her. The brunette and the other one started laughing at her.

"Oh? And are you going to do anything about it? You filthy little mudblood?" The brunette prodded. Malfoy looked a little bit more hesitant than the others to taunt her. This just made Hermione smile at the memory of punching him in the nose. She got out her wand.

"Well, yes actually. How about this?" She chanted a spell that blew them all the way down the hallway. Even from where they were, Hermione could see that they looked windblown from the experience. They quickly got up and ran away. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the comical sight.

Part of Hermione feared she might get in trouble for doing that. But then, another part of her reassured that if she explained the situation most professors here would probably side with her. No professors liked bullying. Hermione looked at Mikado again who simply looked awed by what he'd just seen. He looked up at her and bowed, smiling gratefully.

"T-t-thank you s-so much u-um H-Hermione." She returned the smile.

"You're welcome Mikado." He looked down at what appeared to be a wrist watch.

"Oh shoot! I'm going to be late for class!" He started running down the hall again. As he was running, he looked back again to call out,

"T-thank you again for helping me Hermione. It was nice meeting you!"

As he continued down the hallway he almost ran into Harry and Ron, but they quickly parted to let him through having seen that he was coming. Hermione's two friends came over to her smiling. Ron looked back to where the kid had gone, and then faced her again.

"Man, I guess that kid was running late. Poor guy." Ron laughed after saying this. Hermione was still looking after the direction Mikado had gone, pondering what she had just witness. How on earth was a guy like him in Slytherin? He seemed so nice and so atypical of a Slytherin. It really perplexed her.

"Hermione, what is it?" Harry asked, noticing her distraction.

"That that boy was in Slytherin." Harry and Ron exchanged weary glances.

"Did he um mess with you at all?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head.

"No, but the thing is…he didn't seem like a Slytherin."

"What do you mean, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Like, well, when he ran into me by accident he was very apologetic. He even tried to help me. He just seemed to shy and nice to be a Slytherin. Well that is, based off of what I've seen from Slytherins. And also, some other Slytherins were harassing him, saying he needed to prove that his blood was worthy enough to be in the Slytherin house."

"Would one of those Slytherins happen to be Malfoy?" Ron asked, scowling. When Hermione nodded. Ron seethed in contempt from thinking about the hated blonde Slytherin.

Harry now also looked contemplative.

"Hmm, you're right. That really does seem atypical for a Slytherin."

"I would like to learn more about him, and see how he got into that house." Ron then laughed.

"What, you're going to start investigating this guy now because you don't understand him?'

"Yes." Hermione replied. Ron stopped mid laugh at her serious answer, seeming puzzled.

"U-um, okay. I guess if you want to figure out who this kid is. I actually think I might know who could give us some insight."

"Really? Who?"

* * *

Later that day, Hermione and the other two boys were in the Gryffindor common room. Many of them were just coming in from dinner. When Ginny entered, Ron immediately came up to her.

"Hey Ginny, you're pretty good at knowing what's up with people at this school, right?"

"Um, I guess." Ron and the others that year had started notice that Ginny was becoming pretty popular.

"So, do you know anything about a guy named Mikado Ryugamine? He's in Slytherin." Ginny pondered for a moment and then nodded.

"Yeah I know him. He's a fourth year like me. I don't know him very well though. I think he's new this year."

"What's he like?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what kind of person does he seem to be like?" Ginny shrugged.

"I'm not really sure actually. From what I've seen though he's very shy. I've seen him in a few classes we have together. He doesn't say much, but seems to be very focused on his school work. Why are you asking about him anyway?"

"Well, Hermione encountered him earlier and she said that he didn't really seem like a Slytherin."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he just seemed nicer than any of the Slytherins I've met." Hermione said. Ginny smiled, as though amused by this, but nodded.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Well, I have noticed that there's really only one other Slytherin I've seen him sit with in class. Although, I have noticed that there's a couple of Gryffindors that he normally sits with more often."

"A couple of Gryffindors? Really?" Ron commented. Ginny nodded. Just then, a couple other Gryffindors came into the common room. A boy with blonde hair that laid lazily on his head had his arm playfully draped over the other girl's shoulders. She girl had shoulder length dark brown hair and round glasses. She kind of reminded Hermione of Harry, with the hair color and glasses. The boy appeared to be really chatting up the girl he was walking in with. She wasn't saying anything, but shyly looked at the ground blushing. Ginny walked up to them as they entered. Hermione and the other two boys followed her. The pair stopped their conversation when they saw the four of them approach.

"Hey there. Masaomi, Anri, my brother and his friends were wondering about your friend Mikado." Ginny turned back to Hermione and the other two boys for a moment.

"They're also in the same year as me." Anri quickly half his behind Masaomi, looking away and blushing. This cause Masaomi's arm to slip off her shoulder, but he didn't even seem to mind. Masaomi just looked at them in awe for a moment.

"Oh my gosh! You're-you're Harry Potter! The Boy who lived! Harry Potter wants t-to talk to us? Why do you want to know about Mikado anyways?" Harry sighed but gave him a friendly smile; he was used to this reaction.

"Well, I met Mikado earlier today and I just couldn't help feeling like he didn't really seem like a Slytherin, if that um makes any sense. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about him if you don't mind." Hermione said. At that Anri finally looked up, but still half hid behind Masaomi. Masaomi scratched the back of his head and let out a small nervous laugh.

"It does make sense. Honestly, we were surprised too when he got Slytherin. We were really hoping that he would get Gryffindor with us. We both knew him in Japan." Anri nodded at this.

"Oh, so you two are the ones that transferred here with Mikado."

"Um yeah."

"And you don't know why he got into Slytherin? Did he give you any idea at all?"

"Well, um, after the sorting hat ceremony he didn't tell us much. Just that apparently the hat had a hard time sorting him at first. I get the feeling he was almost put into Gryffindor."

"How long have you been friends with him? What kind of person has he seemed like?"

Hermione realized they were asking him a lot of questions, but he didn't seem to mind answering them though.

"Well, I've known Mikado since we were young kids. For several years we only interacted online, since I had moved to Ikebukuro. But at the beginning of high school he moved there too and we rekindled our childhood friendship Anri met him and I at the beginning of high school, but he and I have become pretty close to her since." Anri blushed at this but nodded.

"Honestly, for the most part he's kind of seemed the same as when we were kids. That would be a shy nice guy who cares about his school work."

"That's it?"

"Well, he has in the past liked exciting things, although he definitely doesn't seem like he would at times."

"Alright, but has he ever shown any signs of having any Slytherin-like tendencies?" Masaomi and Anri exchanged wary glances. Hermione wondered what that was about. After a moment of not saying anything, they both sighed.

"Well, um, yes actually. Maybe not in the way you would think though."

"What do you mean by that?" Masaomi looked hesitant to answer.

"Well, um, you know how everyone has a dark side, right?" Hermione didn't like where this was going.

"Yeah, but there's a difference between having a dark side and having dark Slytherin tendencies." Ron spoke up. Masaomi still looked unsure of what to say.

"W-well, um. He-he is very clever, a-and that's a S-Slytherin trait, right?" Anri said, speaking up for the first time. She hesitantly came out from behind Masaomi, but still looked nervous. Masaomi sighed.

"Anri, I think you know that's not what they're talking about." Anri hung her head.

"I know." She said. Hermione and the other two boys started to get a little anxious from their reactions. Seeing their anxious looks, Masaomi tried to recover.

"W-well um," He sighed,

"I think I may have stated that wrong. Have we seen Mikado with Slytherin tendencies? Yes, we have, but not all the time. Like-like, most of the time he is that nice shy kid. Even though we have seen that he has a dark side, that doesn't mean we agree that he should be in Slytherin. I still think that was not the right fit for him. He doesn't really have any friends in his own house, except for maybe one anti-social acquaintance. A lot of the Slytherins bully him for being a muggle-born and because he's so shy and nice. The thing is, everyone has a dark side and I don't think it's necessary to judge people by it.

The type of things Mikado has done in the past doesn't make up the kind of person he is now. He's definitely not perfect and he knows that, but he truly does strive to be a better person now than he has in the past. I'm not going to go into detail about what kind of things he's done in the past because that's up to him on whether or not he wants to. If I had to choose why he'd be in Slytherin, I'd say more than anything it would be the ambitious trait.

He always strives to do well in school, and I think he hopes to have some sort of very successful career someday. Although, he probably wouldn't admit to that. Hogwarts house and personality flaws aside, Mikado is still my best friend and probably always will be. I ask you please to not judge him based off of his house stereotype though, because he's really not a bad guy. In fact, I'd recommend that you get to know him so you can see that for yourself."

Masaomi realized that he had just ranted and become very defensive of his best friend to Harry Potter. He hadn't been able to speak to the celebrity before, let alone lash out at his friend. Still though, Masaomi knew he wouldn't take back what he said. Mikado was his best friend. Anri had looked nervous throughout the whole rant, but afterwards nodded in agreement with him. Seeing the time, Masaomi and Anri started to head to their respective rooms. Hermione still wanted to learn more about this Mikado, her curiosity was getting the better of her. She didn't dislike him or anything. She believed his friend that Mikado wasn't a bad guy. She just wanted to learn more about him.

* * *

Hermione was beginning to obsess over this, and it was starting to annoy her friends. Ginny had been giving them updates about the way Mikado acted in class. It was very similar to the way she first described them. Apparently Mikado and Masaomi were closer than they originally realized though. Almost like they were brothers. Anri and Mikado's reactions were awkward but sweet. Hermione also thought it was unusual that a shy girl like Anri was in Gryffindor, but it wouldn't be the first time though.

One of the updates was when Ginny told Harry, while sitting at the Gryffindor table in the great hall one day, was that in Hagrid's class they discovered that Anri could also see the thestrals along with Harry. She was the only one in the class who was able to though. After hearing this, Harry got excited that there was someone else who could see them. It already felt weird that so few could see them. Especially since Harry already had to deal with being singled out so many different times given who he was. Harry had really wanted to talk to Anri about it. He wanted to talk with someone who had this unique experience. Ginny laughed at this.

"I doubt you'd be able to get much talk out of her, Harry. You saw how shy she was when I introduced her and Masaomi to you all. She has a hard enough time speaking to people about ordinary things. However, she does seem to be more comfortable around Masaomi and Mikado. Based on what Hagrid told us about what causes people to be able to see thestrals, I'd doubt you'd be able to get her to talk about her own experiences in death." Harry slumped in disappointment, but knew that Ginny was right.

* * *

Mikado and Masaomi were walking through the halls at Hogwarts, since they had the same class next. Anri hadn't caught up to them yet. Masaomi had his arm lazily draped around Mikado's shoulder, like he normally had done with his friends. One of the girls that Masaomi liked to flirt with a lot was a pretty red haired girl named Ginny Weasley. (Well that is, when he wasn't distracted from meeting a celebrity.) As she passed them in the hallway Masaomi winked her, simply causing her to roll her eyes with disgust as he quickened her pace to get away from them. Mikado simply blushed at this, embarrassed by the silly reputation Masaomi was already inquiring. Although, of course, he wouldn't admit this to Masaomi. That is, unless he felt he had to.

"I know what you're thinking Mikado, but deep down that totally hot pureblood babe actually wants me. She just doesn't know it yet." Masaomi made an overdramatic diva pose at this statement. One hand was on his hip, while the other was behind his head. He had his head facing upwards yet forwards. His lips were pursed as though attempting to look flirty, but only came across as though he were sucking on a sour fruit. Mikado simply rolled his eyes with amusement.

"Say Masaomi, what about Saki?" Saki had been Masaomi's muggle girlfriend back in Ikebukuro. Masaomi stopped suddenly and held his arm out as though showing himself off.

"Oh, Saki knew that when she dated me she wouldn't be able to keep me away from other babes. She has just accepted this is who I am." He spun and gave Mikado a mock flirtatious look. Mikado, being used to his friend's antics, simply crossed his arms and gave Masaomi an amused look.

"She dumped you, didn't she?" Masaomi slipped out of his dramatic pose. He scratched the back of his head and gave Mikado a shy smile.

"Hehe, yeah she did. Saki didn't think we would be able to make long distance work. But fear not! I shall find a way to win her back! Bur, for now…" He pointed in the direction Ginny had gone and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

* * *

Hermione, Harry, and Ron were discussing Hermione's perplexion again the next day while in the hallways.

"Hermione, the kid's friends already gave us a pretty good idea about the kid."

"Yeah, although if you're so curious, why don't you just talk to him? I mean after all, you get along with him, right?"

"Yeah, I get along with him. He always waves to me when we pass each other in the hallway. I don't dislike him or anything. It's just, I don't know, I get this feeling that there is more to the situation. It's just bugging me I guess." Ron laughed at this.

"Now you're relying on gut feelings? The girl who walked out of divination because it was a bunch of nonsense?" Hermione shot him a look but then continued.

"Besides, it's not like I can go up to him and be like, 'Hey Mikado, I can't help but feel like you're too nice to be a Slytherin. Do you think you could tell me about your secret dark side?' I can imagine that wouldn't go over very well. Besides, like I said, I do get along with him. I feel like he could use some friends given the bullying he has to put up with in his own house. I just want to know more about him is all. He's interesting. I can't be the only one who considers the house he's in to be a red flag, right? Especially considering how much of a contradiction he seems to be."

"Oh, I'd say all that he is is a walking contradiction." The three of them all jumped at the unexpected voice. They turned to see a man in his twenties leaning against the wall of the hallway. He was smirking like he was up to something, yet the robes he was wearing suggested that he was a professor. His longish raven black hair reminded them of Snape's hair. The man slumped off of the wall and prowled over to them.

"Everything about him is a contradiction. A muggle born in the Slytherin house, a shy boy who seeks excitement, oh how the list goes on for him." The man laughed, but the laugh made him sound like he was a bit off...mentally. Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances.

"And, who are you?" Ron asked.

"You're the new Muggle Studies professor, aren't you? Professor Orihara?" The boys gaped at her for knowing this. Hermione just rolled her eyes at their reaction. The professor clapped his hands, but it didn't seem sincere.

"Very good Miss Granger. You really are as bright as they say."

"Um…"

"Oh, you'll find that I know a lot of things about the student body at this school." Professor Orihara then gave Harry a sly look, which just puzzled him.

"So, I take it you know about Mikado Ryugamine then?" Hermione asked. She noticed he had a Japanese accent along with the other transfers. He smirked and nodded.

"Oh yes, I most certainly do. Oh the things I could tell you about all three of them!" Professor Orihara seemed to almost sing. It seemed very odd for a professor to be acting that way. His mannerisms almost gave the impression that he was dancing.

"So, I take it you would have some idea as to why Mikado would have been sorted into Slytherin?" There was almost a maniacal glint in his crimson red-brown eyes.

"Oh yes, I certainly could."

"Well, then what?"

"Hmm, it's hard to say. Well like I said he is a walking contradiction. It's almost as though he has two personalities."

"Wait. Two personalities?"

"Uh huh. The shy and nice side he shows to most people, and seems to be mainly who he is. Yet then there is also his…other side." Professor Orihara seemed utterly amused by their bewildered looks. Ron gulped.

"Um, what exactly makes up his-his other side?"

"Oh, I'm not entirely sure that I'm at liberty to tell you that. Apparently while I'm being a professor I'm not allowed to sell information to students…well that is, not officially." There was a pause.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, I was an information broker back in Japan. That's how I know them." At the mention of him being an information broker, Hermione began to get weary. She knew, more from stories than anything that information brokers normally weren't associated to be good. Along with that, neither were the people they would do business with. The stories they were normally seen in typically had to do with gangs, crime, and secret agent stuff. Given that their profession was gathering and selling information, it really couldn't be assumed that their methods were always legal. Plus, sometimes rivaling gangs would use the same broker since informants wouldn't have known loyalties. It was typically not a job for a respectable person. At least, that's what Hermione had always thought.

"What type of interactions would you have with them?" Hermione asked cautiously. She had the feeling that eventually he would stop answering her questions, but she had to see how long he would go.

"Oh, typically when they wanted information on gang related affairs. There were so many gang wars going in Ikebukuro, oh how I miss the entertaining chaos! Why, Mikado and Masaomi were after all gang leaders." All three of them froze at that statement.

"They-they were?" Gangs were definitely not considered to be good. A key word that usually connected to gangs was violence. Normally, gang members were on the wrong side of the law. Hermione had a really bad feeling about this.

"Yep, and rivaling gangs for that matter. Although of course they didn't realize this at first." The man then laughed too cheerfully for the topic matter.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about them now though. Masaomi has long since left his gang days behind. I can imagine he wouldn't want anyone to get hurt again because of him." Hurt again? This was beginning to sound worse and worse.

"And Mikado's own gang, as massive and influential as they were, crumbled by his own doing. Such a shame though, it really was much easier to manipulate situations through his information site. But you know, had to let humans' stories play out. His Slytherinness was definitely clearer when he was a gang leader though. I can imagine he tries to hide his supposed other personality more now, but it's still in there somewhere."

Just then Professor Orihara waved cheerfully behind them. Hermione, Harry, and Ron all turned around. They saw Mikado, Masaomi, and Anri walking down the hallway. Masaomi had his arm lazily thrown across Mikado's shoulders. Masaomi appeared to be making Mikado laugh about something. Anri was walking besides them. She was looking down but had a small smile on her face and was blushing.

When they looked over at the professor waving at them they all stopped and looked appalled at seeing him there. They wore expressions of shock mixed with fear and for two of them hatred. After exchanging a weary look, Masaomi and Anri tried to start walking forward again, but Mikado still stood. He was still looking at the Professor, his face paling. Masaomi and Anri stopped to see that Mikado hadn't continued. Masaomi pulled on his robe to try to get him to walk away. Mikado gulped, but then walked towards Professor Orihara with a determined, but shaky look on his face. Masaomi and Anri exchanged a worried look, but then followed behind him. Mikado seemed to barely notice the other trio, his eyes locked on the Professor.

"W-w" Mikado squeaked out before he cleared his throat.

"Wha-what are y-you d-doing here I-Izaya-san." Izaya looked absolutely cheerful at the anxious look on the teen's face. Masaomi had his arms crossed and was glaring daggers at the professor. Anri was also glaring at him, her hands clenched in fists shaking at her sides. What in the world? Izaya made a tsk sound.

"Now-now, Mikado-kun, it's Professor Orihara now. You'll have to treat me with the proper respect I require, even if I'm not your professor." Masaomi scoffed.

"How did you end up being a professor at this school? The Headmaster Dumbledore seems too smart to hire the likes of you." Izaya cocked an eyebrow, amusement shown on his face.

"Well, I am a fellow wizard, Kida-kun. Or did you forget? Plus, I'd say an information broker to muggles is perfectly qualified to teach muggle studies." Masaomi rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever." He mumbled under his breath.

"Yes, but w-why did you leave Ikebukuro?" Mikado asked. Izaya leaned in towards Mikado.

"Well, maybe since a certain gang leader took down their own masses, the city has been a bit more boring." Mikado sucked in a nervous breath and leaned in away from the man.

"Y-yeah, well I didn't create it for your own amusement! You didn't have to leave!"

"Yeah, and don't even pretend you didn't follow us here to mess with us. You're twisted enough to do that, but we're not going to play your game anymore."

"Oh, I don't know. Just because I have a specific agenda in coming here doesn't mean it's exactly what you think. I am however curious that a former gang leader has ended up in Slytherin when they have supposedly left that life behind." He leaned in towards Mikado again.

"Now tell me, is that a sign that you've left it all behind? Perhaps the sorting hat knows you better than you do. You can never escape who you really are. That's something so vulnerable about humans that I've always loved. It must make a walking contradiction like yourself always miserable though. I take back what I said in the past, you'll never be able to evolve enough for your own satisfaction. You're always going to be disappointed and always going to want more. It really is that sad life for a human who is an ambitious thrill seeker. And people say adaptability is a good survival instinct. But for you, it may lead to your own doom." Mikado didn't know how to respond. He hated how this guy could still get to him so much!

"So what next, air conditioner? Once pens and illegal guns aren't enough, perhaps you'll move on to unforgivable curses. And then maybe become a deatheater, seeking power. And then maybe challenging Lord Voldemort himself, which I'm sure that if you survived a battle against you still wouldn't be satisfied! You think you've buried your twisted side, but it's only human nature for selfishness to peek out its ugly head again. Like I said to Kida once, your past will become your god. So yes, maybe I did come here for you. Maybe I wanted to see how things would end up. Or perhaps I know something about you that you don't."

A truly evil looking grin spread across the man's face. The predatory look he was giving Mikado sent shivers down Hermione's spine. Just what kind of person was this new professor?

"Either way, you really should stop pretending that you're surprised by the house you got placed into it, because it's really not a believable lie. Ah, a naïve sick minded teen. What could get more contradictory than that? Oh, I so can't wait to see how things end up!"

In just a second, Izaya had flipped to the side. Apparently Masaomi had tried shooting a curse at him but Izaya parkoured out of the way. Mikado on the other had still been shaking in place. His expression seemed frozen in anxiety during the whole speech. Mikado turned around and ran away before anyone could see the look on his face. Masaomi was seething.

"You have no right to do that Izaya! You can't toy with us anymore like you used to in Ikebukuro! I won't allow it! You completely screwed over Mikado's life in the city and almost caused the death of him! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT and I will not let that happen again no matter what it takes! I just got my friend back, and I sure as hell am not letting you break him again!" Some of the things Hermione was hearing in this conversation was truly scaring her. And based on the glimpses of the pale faced friends besides her she wasn't the only one who felt that way. How could this twisted man's smirk not waver at all through all of this?

"Oh? Are you sure you won't freeze up like you did with-"

"SHUT UP!" Literal steam started coming out of Masaomi's ears. They expected him to try to curse the professor again, but instead he stalked off to try to catch up to Mikado. Anri surprisingly was still there, looking like she wanted to murder the man in front of her. Her fists were still clenched to the point that her hands became paler. The professor tilted his head.

"What? Are you now wishing that you hadn't given up Saika so you could slash me right now? I don't care what you convince yourself of, you're still a parasite either way." Anri stormed off as well. Izaya laughed. Hermione, Harry, and Ron finally turned to him wearily.

"Well, I believe that probably answers your question more than anything I could have said ever would have." Then Professor Orihara walked into a classroom. The trio still stood there for a moment, unsure how to comprehend what they just witnessed. What the heck was that? Hermione now felt like they had more questions than answers. They had no idea what was in store for Hogwarts this year.

 **A/N: I just wanted to make sure to clarify this. There are going to be more chapters. I haven't posted them yet because I wanted to see how this story was viewed before I posted the rest. Plus I'm still figuring out how I want the order of things to occur. Please let me know what you think of this story so far in the reviews or by PMing me. I want to know what you all think.**

 **A/N: Alright, so I made a translation mistake. I had been playing around with Google Translate when I was trying to come up with a title for this story. I thought I had found that "Benhei" meant _apologetic_ (or "Benmei", I might have misspelled it). Thankfully, I just now decided to double check this before posting the translation for this (which I probably should have done a while ago now that I think about it.) **

**Now, according to google translate, it's saying that "Benhei actually means _Flight Soldier_. I'm not entirely sure how that got mixed up. I had thought that this title fit before, but now I'm not sure that meaning works. Please let me know if you think I should just leave or change it to something where the meaning makes more sense. Thank you and sorry for the confusion.**

 **Apparently a couple of other terms (that are close in meaning to _apologetic_ ) could be "moushiwakenasasou" or "sumanasou" (but this one means more like sorry or regretful).**

 **If anyone here knows Japanese, please tell me what the real meaning of this word is if I'm wrong, because the internet is giving me some confusing answers now. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2 (Slytherin?)

**A/N: So, this chapter is going to be shorter than the first one. I hope I didn't throw too much information at you at once in the first chapter. I was still figuring out the order I wanted things to occur. I think this one is a good fit though. Sorry for any grammar cringes! I am working on them.**

Chapter 2

 _Izaya didn't know what he was talking about_ …Mikado was thinking to himself as he laid in bed that night.

After the whole "confrontation" with Izaya earlier, Mikado had run right to his room in the Slytherin house. At the time, he didn't care that he was skipping classes and ruining his model student reputation. He just knew that he had to get away. He had to get away from the things that Izaya was implying. Because _there was no way they could be true!...they couldn't be._ He couldn't think about what Izaya was saying, it was too painful. Too confusing. He didn't want to believe any of it. He couldn't let Izaya see how much his words affected him, because then how could he prove Izaya wrong?

If Masaomi was in his house, he definitely would have come after Mikado. He was okay though. Mikado didn't really want his best friend to see him like this anyways...it was embarrassing.

He wasn't asleep yet, but hoped he would be soon. That is, rather than thinking about the disturbing things Izaya had said. Just because he was in Slytherin, didn't mean that he was a dark wizard…right? _Of course I was surprised to be sorted into Slytherin!_ Mikado really was trying to move on from the things he had done in Ikebukuro. Being in Slytherin didn't necessarily mean that he hadn't…or did it? After all, it was really only his 'other personality' that seemed to match the Slytherin traits…so why would he be sorted into that house? Mikado began reflecting on his sorting hat ceremony…

* * *

Even though Mikado's friends and himself were new to Hogwarts, they had overheard some things from other students such as some opinions on the school houses. These were in various locations, such as hearing other students chatting about the houses in Diagon Alley or while they were boarding the train. Apparently, Gryffindor was the house to be. So of course, the trio had wanted to be in that one. They also overheard some very negative things about Slytherin. That was the house that was considered to be the dark wizards' Hogwarts house. There were other traits for it as well, such as cleverness, determination, and ambition. Even though these traits didn't particularly sound bad, the house still had a negative reputation. They had thought that they didn't need to worry about it though. None of them had thought they possessed Slytherin traits.

Mikado's and he had been very much so entranced by Hogwarts as they walked into the great hall. Yes there were magical attributes at Raira Academy, but here at Hogwarts it was definitely much more amazing. The roof looked like the night sky! It was absolutely stunning! He couldn't help but stare up at it in amazement. Clearly this school definitely had greater magical quality than Raira, even if there learning track was different. He was so entranced by the beauty of it, he almost hadn't heard when names began to get called for the sorting. He noticed how huge the room was. The tables were so long with so many students. Did Raira have nearly this many students?

Mikado sucked in a nervous breath when his name was called. He didn't know what to expect. He really hadn't heard much at all about the sorting ceremony except for a few things he and his friends had briefly overheard. Mikado had felt very uncertain during the sorting ceremony. He had walked up to the stool very nervously. Perhaps more so than his usual nervousness. They didn't have houses like this back at Raira. Then again, Raira Academy wasn't a boarding magical school. Mikado was unsure of what to expect as he sat on the stool.

Masaomi had already happily been sorted into Gryffindor. Mikado was very happy for him and hoped that he would end up in the same house as his best friend. He honestly had no idea which house was right for him. As he felt the hat placed on his head, he was startled by the sudden voice he could hear in his head. Instead of hearing a voice through his ears, Mikado could almost feel a pressure coming out from his temples towards the inside of his mind. The voice wasn't verbal, but he could hear it loudly in his mind. It was very unsettling nobody had told him it would speak in his mind!

" _Interesting…very interesting. There are multiple houses that could be good for you! Hmm…_ "

Mikado wasn't sure where to glance. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room staring at him. Was this taking longer than it normally does? He could feel his face heating up slightly out of self-consciousness.

" _Hmm…I can see that you genuinely do care about others, especially your friends. You are also very intelligent and brave…but wait_." There was almost a pause.

" _I can sense darkness in you."_ Mikado glanced up towards the hat, almost as though he thought he would actually be able to see it.

 _W-what do you mean?_ Mikado had thought.

" _There is a dark part of you that I cannot ignore_." Mikado paled at this. A d-d-dark part? W-w-what did it m-mean by that? That comment really scared him. He began to think about the events which had occurred in Ikebukuro, and desperately hoped that he had misheard the magical hat.

" _Plus, along with that, I can also see that you are ambitious. You always strive to be the best that you can and even try to be greater than you are. Along with these traits, I can also tell that you are a very powerful wizard._ " This surprised him as well. A powerful wizard? Me? There was no way! He couldn't be a more ordinary wizard. This experience was definitely growing more weird for him…

" _This indeed has been a difficult decision…_ " Mikado could already tell that he had been up there longer than the others before him. What were the other students thinking as they waited? Why was he taking so much longer than the others? The last thing Mikado wanted was to stand out too much at this new school. Especially considering occurrences he had experienced in the past in Ikebukuro.

" _I believe the house I will have to place you in is…_ SLYTHERIN!" Mikado's eyes widened in shock. Had he heard that right? S-s-slytherin? The house considered to be for dark wizards? He really had not expected to be placed in this house. What would the other students think of him? Would they brand him as dark before even meeting him? Although, the hat mentioning sensing a darkness in him…this scared Mikado. He had thought that he had finally gotten the chance to turn over a new leaf. Would it ever go away?

Mikado found he couldn't even look at Masaomi as he shyly made his way over to the Slytherin table. Mikado wouldn't be in the same house as his best friend. Since he was new here, this made Mikado very nervous. Not only that, but along with the darkness associated with the Slytherin house, Mikado was now in the house that was the biggest house rival of his best friend's. Granted, this wouldn't be the first time they were part of groups rivalling each other, but still! He didn't exactly like it. This gave Mikado the impression that it may be difficult to hang out with Masaomi as much as he would want to.

What does Masaomi think of this? Would he be weary around Mikado again? Would he be scared for Mikado? Would Anri be scared of him now? No, Mikado reassured himself. He knew his friends. They wouldn't abandon him just because of the house he ended up in. Ever since the incident with the small gun, Mikado had attempted countless times to prove himself to his friends again. He completely disconnected any previous associations he had to anything gang related; that was including the dollars, blue squares, and Izaya. He had gotten a job, hoping to help with any medical bills Masaomi might have. Even though Masaomi had assured him that they didn't need him to do that, Mikado couldn't help himself. He had taken up extra hours of volunteer community service, hoping he could do all he could to clean up any damage the dollars or the Blue Squares had committed. He had anonymously turned in any criminals he had worked with. He did anything he could think of, apologizing profusely to anyone who had been hurt because of him. He just couldn't keep Izaya's words from haunting his mind. The only ones he hadn't really tried to help were Aoba, the blue squares, and Izaya.

He only wished he could erase that event from ever occurring…but still he would prove himself to his friends even when they said he had already regained their trust back. But he felt he had to. He didn't feel like he deserved to have their trust back…he didn't trust himself yet. He didn't know when he would be able to forgive himself. He had often wondered about this other personality of his…but feared that voicing his thoughts on the subject would bring into the light that he probably was crazy. He didn't want to think about it. The only ones who seemed to truly suspect this were Izaya and Aoba. The others had just thought he was a victim to Izaya's manipulations. Granted this wasn't completely wrong, but he was too afraid to bring up this other possibility. What would happen if he did? These many scattered thoughts were going through his head after he had been sorted.

There was lots of cheering coming from the table. There were many congratulations and rushed introductions, but Mikado found that he had trouble focusing on any of them. Despite the fact that he was now a Slytherin, the others in the house still made him nervous. He couldn't stop thinking about how the house was considered to be the dark wizards' house. He hadn't fully registered that he was in this house yet. He was intimidated by them, and couldn't shake off the feeling that he was really out of place. A lot of them seemed to be almost over confident by the way they were holding themselves and introducing themselves to him. This was very different from how shy and nervous he would be often. They seemed caught up in themselves whereas he was caught up in others. Was this really the right fit? Mikado had to admit that he could be very ambitious at times, especially when it came to his performance in school. But, that didn't necessarily mean that he was meant to be in this house though.

When he got to the table he sat next to a boy with short dark hair. The boy had his face in a book, almost as though he had been reading during the entire ceremony. Surprisingly, he looked up when Mikado sat down. Mikado noticed this boy seemed to have Asian features to his face. He gave Mikado a small polite smile, but the smile didn't seem to reach his eyes. The vacant look in the boy's eyes almost seemed to have a hint of sadness to them. But, this was so small that Mikado wondered if he had just imagined it. The boy held his hand out to Mikado.

"Takayuki Chang." Mikado was still catching on to western traditions. Remembering what that meant, he quickly shook the other boy's hand.

"Mikado Ryugamine." Takayuki nodded and then went back to reading his book. Despite the closed-offness, Mikado smiled in spite of himself. Of the others at the table, Takayuki seemed less intimidating. He didn't seem fake or try to impress Mikado with 'blood-status' like some of the others had. Mikado was just thankful to find at least one other person in his house to be somewhat comfortable around. Takayuki didn't seem to give off as much of a predatory air as some of the others at the house had. It made Mikado feel slightly better. He wasn't sure if he would be friends with this guy, since the guy already seemed to keep to himself, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about being tricked if he was with Takayuki. At least, that was what Mikado had thought. There was a different air about himself that Takayuki seemed to be giving off, but Mikado couldn't really place what it meant. Mikado really wasn't as good at analyzing people as Izaya was, even though he tried. Mikado then got upset with himself for comparing himself to that informant.

He watched the rest of the sorting take place. Anri was put into Gryffindor with Masaomi. He was happy for her though. She deserved to be in a friendly house with one of her good friends. After all, she was typically more nervous than he was. Especially considering she had just given up Saika. Anri had told them this before the trio had prepared to go to Hogwarts. Mikado didn't entirely understand the whole ordeal with Saika, but he knew that she's had Saika in her for a very long time.

Anri didn't say anything about it, but he knew Anri well enough that he could tell she was more lonely without Saika. She almost clung to Mikado and Masaomi more so than she had before giving up the demonic blade. Despite this, at least she wasn't calling herself a parasite anymore. Mikado almost thought he saw fear in her eyes more now. He figured there were some feelings in her still hidden inside. Even though Mikado still had trouble grasping the concept of Saika, he had thought that he heard Anri saying about how the demon blade would whisper into her head 'I love you' over and again.

It seemed like for most people, that would drive them crazy. She seemed lonelier without it though. He desperately cared for Anri and hoped they could help her in whatever way they could. Mikado felt like he could handle himself in his house. It didn't take the other Slytherins long to realize how atypical he truly was for their house though, unfortunately for Mikado.

* * *

Somehow, Mikado had managed to fall asleep eventually. He had a strange dream though. He was walking through a long hallway with very tall shelves on each side. The shelves were filling with glowing glass spheres, which appeared to be the only sources of light. He was looking through the different spheres, noticing that they were organized by name. He was passing _M_ s, then _N_ s, then _O_ s…

There was one, whose name he couldn't see yet, but he could tell it was clearly drawing him to it though. _P_ s… _Q_ s…There were whispers all around him that were very eerie. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but could almost feel mentions of darkness…and his name…He was reaching for one orb glowing brighter than the others. But before he could reach to touch it, everything seemed to twist away into strange undistinguishable colors. Then, he felt he was in some kind of liquid. He couldn't remember really seeing anything, except maybe a liquid-like fog. But he could hear voices again, this time they were muffled as though he was hearing them through liquid. Again, they were hard to understand. But these voices were different. The first ones had sounded like an echo. This sounded more like they were just distant. Every so often, he could pick up some discussion about a specific boy…and he could tell there was a serious tone to the conversation. He tried to lean closer towards the direction of the sound, but he only moved in slow motion. The voices didn't get any louder. Mikado was so frustrated that he was no closer to understanding what was being said. Mikado's curiosity was killing him.

* * *

Izaya laughed to himself. He was sitting up on his bed, eyes closed. It really was so much fun messing with that boy! Izaya was so happy he had learned magic involving the mind. Since Izaya was an information broker, he had many ways of gathering information. From one of his sources, he had overheard Dumbledore and another professor talk about a boy from a prophecy. Given that this discussion took place in Japan, Izaya had his suspicions on who they were talking about. This was part of the reason he followed them to Hogwarts though. At some point, Izaya had been able to sneak using Dumbledore's pensieve himself to confirm his suspicions. And he was right! However, even he had not known just how detailed the prophecy was. Izaya then took it up upon himself to have some fun with this. Using the memory he had gathered from the pensieve, Izaya had begun to gradually place them into Mikado's dreams. Typically, he would only place part of the memory, or give him a distorted segment of it knowing that this would drive Mikado insane. He wanted to see what Mikado would do. Would he go to the place he was dreaming of? Would he discover that the prophecy was about him? What would he do with this knowledge? Izaya simply couldn't wait to find out! Oh, how he loved humans!

* * *

The next morning Mikado woke up late and had to rush to his next class. Unfortunately for Mikado though, other students had overheard the discussion with Izaya in the hallway the other day. That is, students he really didn't want to hear those things.

 **A/N: I realize how similar the dream scene is to a scene in the fifth HP story. Mikado does have a different fate from Harry though.**

 **A/N: I haven't decided yet how often I am going to update yet. Please let me know if there is anything in the story so far that isn't clear. Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3 (Transfiguration)

Chapter 3

It didn't seem right for a professor to speak to students that way. Even though Hermione was nervous from the type of things Professor Orihara implies, she didn't think it was right for him to put those students through that out in the open. It-It was completely unprofessional! Hermione couldn't help but feel bad for the other trio. Yet, she was warier of Mikado than she was before even though she was still nice to him. He acted more nervous around her now, as though finally realizing that she and her friends had witnessed that conversation. There was a strange atmosphere surrounding the four Japanese at the school. As though there were so many hidden secrets, which before this, many had not thought that nonmagical secrets could even be a concern. There was also that nagging feeling that the new professor was dangerous. He seemed worse than Malfoy.

Harry and Ron were sitting next to each other in Transfiguration class.

Hermione sat at the desk behind them, alone since there was an odd number in the class. There were various different objects placed in front of them. As Professor McGonagall stood to the front of the class, Mikado quickly came into the room. He hunched over and panted from running there from who knows how far. Seeing all eyes on him, Mikado immediately blushed. Straightening up, he turned to the teacher and bowed quickly.

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry P-Profess-"

"Ah, Ryugamine. I heard you would be here today. It's quite alright, just take a seat."

At this, Malfoy stood up looking upset. "Professor McGonagall, Ryugamine is a fourth year. He shouldn't be in here."

"Yes, well Malfoy at his old magical school Ryugamine was in an advanced program for his studies. He's ahead of everyone else in his year for Transfiguration, so this class is the right level for him. And if there's another outburst from you again Mr. Malfoy, you will receive detention. Understand?"

Malfoy grudgingly sat back at his seat. Mikado looked anxiously around before Hermione pointed to the empty seat next to her. He blushed and sat down next to her. Without looking, Hermione knew that Harry and Ron were probably exchanging wary glances but she didn't care. Just because he wasn't the kind of person she thought he was, doesn't mean that she wouldn't be kind to him anymore. He had been kind enough to her for her to give him the chance to prove himself to her. That was only fair.

"Yes, Mr. Ryugamine here is apparently very skilled in transfiguration. In fact, he's in the process of becoming an animagus."

There was a lot of chatter in the room at this. Mikado blushed even more, and looked down at his desk. He looked so self-conscious. Hermione felt bad for him, with his obvious shyness.

"Mr. Ryugamine, do you think you could demonstrate your skills as an animagus for the class?"

"U-um, w-well I-I'm not so s-sure I'm ready for that yet. I haven't completed the process yet."

"Very well. Although, from what I've heard from corresponding with your former professors, you are very close to completing it."

And with that, Professor McGonagall started class. They were reviewing the vanishing spell, Scribblifors. This is a spell the fourth years shouldn't have learned yet. However, Hermione did notice that Mikado seemed very skilled at this spell indeed.

* * *

So now Mikado had a class with the trio, and he would normally sit with them. Sometimes Hermione would ask about his animagus skills, but he always seemed self-conscious about the subject.

"So what animal can you turn into?" Harry had asked one day.

"Well, um-um it kind of looks like a black Japanese bobtail. It's a type of cat."

"That's pretty cool. You know, Professor McGonagall can turn into a cat as well." Hermione had said.

Hermione, being the inquisitive person that she is, had noticed that Mikado blushed a lot around her. Then again, the boy blushed a lot in general which made it difficult to read into.

"Do you think you could show us your animagus form some day?"

"Um-um yeah, e-eventually. I'm just not ready yet. I can't even transform without mandrake leaves yet."

"What made you want to be an animagus anyways? I hear it's a lot of work to become one."

Mikado scratched the back of his head at that.

"Well, u-um I'm not really sure honestly. I had been told by my professor that I excelled very well in transfiguration, plus I just simply wanted to. I figured it would be very useful and come handy having that skill. It would be a unique way to witness things without people knowing who you are." An unrecognizable look came across the boy's face. Almost like an unnatural calmness that was kind of unsettling. Mikado seemed to realize the trio's staring at him, and his face immediately slipped back to normal. He let out a small nervous laugh.

"So, did you want to go into some sort of wizard law enforcement career? That sounds like the type of career where that skill you described would come in handy."

Mikado shrugged. "I don't really know what I want to do yet, honestly. I'm thinking probably some sort of position in power." Harry and Ron exchanged wary looks. Mikado had that weird calm smile again that didn't seem to sit naturally. Perhaps this was what Izaya meant? Mikado seemed to have switched just like that, back and forth. It was kind of creepy.

Mikado noticed their reactions again and started acting nervous.

"W-well, u-um, I mean like I said I haven't fully decided yet. I might go into a career in study like Anri-Chan is contemplating. It's just that- "Mikado sighed. "There were some events that got out of hand in the city we came from. I thought about having some type of magical career where I felt like I could actually do something." Mikado clenched his fists, but seemed more anxious than angry. "I want to feel like-like I can actually protect my friends, and I guess I thought becoming an animagus might be one step closer to something like that.

U-um well, you know? Any skill I can acquire really to make myself more prepared against some things in the world. I don't want to feel so powerless again. It really isn't fair how some things occur to people in the world. I already know that some people view me as weak or ordinary, and I guess I-I don't want to prove them right. But-but for a good reason." Mikado slumped his head on his desk feeling like he was getting nowhere with this.

He could tell these three were already creeped out by him, and were wary of him being a Slytherin. He really did want to prove that he was a better person than he used to be. He was one. Everything about the dark side completely disgusted him. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder if he could use that kind of power for good…

What was he thinking!? Mikado was relieved when he heard that class was over. His thoughts were getting confused again. Mikado had no doubt that it was from Izaya being at Hogwarts. Mikado hoped that he could find Masaomi in the hallway so he wouldn't have to walk to class alone.

* * *

Mikado bolted out of the class and felt very relieved to see his best friend at the end of the hallway waiting for him. Masaomi laughed from seeing Mikado panting due to his jaunt over there. Mikado urgently motioned for them to start heading towards class. After rolling his eyes in amusement, Masaomi began walking with Mikado to their next class which they had together.

"So, Mikado, how's your Transfiguration class going?" Masaomi asked with an amused smile. Mikado narrowed his eyes at Masaomi in irritation but then sighed.

"Pretty much just as expected. The subject comes easy to me like it always has. I feel like I always have to prove myself to Hermione and her friends even though they would never admit to it."

Masaomi sighed and looked at Mikado more sympathetically.

"Well, that's to be expected unfortunately."

Mikado knew that he was right.

"Just keep trying." He slung his arm around his friend's shoulders again. "You will be able to show them just how awesome you are. After all, the fact that I've stuck around says something." He smiled. They were quiet for a moment.

"Thanks, Masaomi."

"No problem, man." He looked around for a second to see who was around them. " _Now how have you been doing with wooing our dear Anri?"_

Since they were at an English school now, they would usually talk in English. However, sometimes they would switch to Japanese if they were talking about something they didn't want others to hear. It definitely came in handy sometimes. Although, there were some students looking at them now.

Mikado sighed and blushed at that. " _M-Masaomi! I haven't exactly been focused on wooing Anri."_ He sighed. " _Besides, I don't know if that would even go anywhere. She's having a hard-enough time adjusting to having ordinary friendships without Saika being in her. I don't know if she could even handle being in a relationship with someone right now. Plus, I'I don't know the first thing about dating anyways. Maybe we would be better off as friends right now anyways?"_

Masaomi just shook his head.

" _I don't think that's the only reason you're hesitant to ask her out."_

" _What? W-what do you mean, Masaomi?"_

" _You like that Granger girl too, don't you?"_

Mikado's bright blush answered his question for him.

" _U-um, well…"_

" _Oh please, Mikado, you're like an open book when it comes to this kind of thing. You talk about her all the time. You always sit next to her in Transfiguration. I can tell that you blush around her a lot. Also, when referring to that trio, you always refer to them as Hermione and her friends. Most people refer to them as Harry in his friends since he is the more famous of the three. Along with that, just now you blushed and acted all nervous when I brought it up like you do when I talk about Anri. If you didn't like her, you would have denied it immediately. I mean let's face it, you're a terrible liar."_

Mikado blushed even brighter at his friend's statements, and tried to avoid making eye contact with him. He realized there was no point in denying it to his best friend. " _Yeah?_ _So, what if I do? It's not like she would like me back at all. She's in a year over me. We're just friends."_

Masaomi crossed his arms.

" _Don't you see your problem, Mikado? You're not aggressive enough! You are now torn between two absolutely sexy babes that you totally have the hots for. Yet, you're not willing to pursue either one of them. You're too nervous and afraid of change. If you don't act on these feelings, babes like them are going to get taken and you'll miss your chance!"_

Mikado just looked down at his feet at this. To think, he had escaped to his friend to leave one uncomfortable situation just to land in another awkward conversation. Well, he supposed that was to be expected with Masaomi though.

Masaomi continued his speech as they both entered their next shared class together.

 **A/N: I posted an attempt at a translation in the author's note of chapter 1 in case anyone didn't understand the meaning behind the title.**

 **I had an idea for a sort of poll for this story. If you want to know what it is or want to answer it please pm me or let me know in the reviews. I'm not making it public because it has to do with the plot of the story. (I'm a little bit stuck with one part so I wanted to know what some of you might think.)**


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